What’s Actually Going On: Halligan & Bondi and Disbarment – Part One, Halligan

Lindsey Halligan

  1. Appointment Controversy

    • Halligan was appointed by Pam Bondi as interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Critics argue that her appointment is unconstitutional or illegal under vacancy laws. CBS News+2Lawyer Monthly+2

    • According to Comey’s lawyers, allowing a second 120‑day interim appointment (i.e., replacing one interim U.S. Attorney with Halligan) “eviscerates” the Senate confirmation requirement. CBS News

    • To shore this up, Bondi later retroactively gave Halligan the title of “special attorney” in the DOJ, to validate her authority. The Washington Post+1

  2. Bar Complaint

    • A watchdog group (Campaign for Accountability) has filed a bar complaint with both the Florida Bar and Virginia Bar, accusing her of:

    • So, yes: there is a formal ethics/legal process underway, not just rumors.

  3. Grand Jury & Prosecutorial Misconduct Concerns

    • A magistrate judge (William Fitzpatrick) has raised serious red flags about how Halligan handled the Comey indictment process:

      • The judge says there are “genuine issues of misconduct” in grand jury proceedings. FindLaw

      • Among the problems: apparently, the entire grand jury may not have seen the final indictment before it was filed. FindLaw

      • There are also claims she mischaracterized Comey’s constitutional rights to the grand jury. FindLaw

    • If those findings are upheld, it could imperil her prosecutions (or at least parts of them).

  4. Professional Risk

    • According to legal analysts, her conduct could expose her to disciplinary action, possibly disbarment, because:

      • As a prosecutor, she has a duty not to file charges she believes lack sufficient basis. Vanity Fair

      • There are ethics rules about making misrepresentations, not just to courts but to grand juries, and being “competent” representation matters, especially for serious prosecutions. CBS News

    • That said: bar complaints don’t always lead to disbarment. It depends on what the bar finds, how serious the violations are, and whether there’s a pattern or intentional misconduct.

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